“Ukrainization” of Hungarian High School in Transcarpathia Begins

The Francis II Rákóczi High School in Munkács (Mukachevo, Ukraine) has again come under heavy fire from the municipality with the appointment of Marija Pauk as principal, while she has no ties to the Hungarian community or the Hungarian-language school itself. The school has indicated that it will stand firm, Index.hu reports.

As Hungary Today reported, Ukrainian police removed Hungarian flags from several public institutions earlier this year, and the principal of the aforementioned high school was dismissed overnight without explanation.

The Cultural Alliance of Hungarians in Sub-Carpathia (CASH) expressed its dismay at the dismissal of István Schink, who is also chairman of the Association’s faction in the Mukachevo City Council, and stated that his dismissal is not conducive to the smooth operation of the Hungarian school and the peaceful coexistence of the ethnic groups.

An article by Kárpátalja.ma makes it clear that the school’s ordeal continues: the institution announced on its social media page on 15 August that Marija Pauk was appointed as the school’s director,

who has no ties to the Hungarian community or the school.

István Schink, the recently dismissed director of the school, would not comment in light of the situation.

Krisztián Molnár, a physics teacher at Francis II Rákóczi High School, on the other hand, reported that the sudden dismissal of the director had come as a shock to the teachers. The reasons for the appointment of Marija Pauk, who teaches at another school, were unclear, he said.

The arrival of the new principal has not been greeted with enthusiasm by parents. There are countless comments on social media, from which it appeared that at the moment no one understands the reasons for this decision. For now, the possibility of a protest by teachers or parents has not been raised, but Molnár does not rule out the possibility of one in the future.

The decision was not made by the Ukrainian state, but by the school board in Mukachevo,

says Krisztián Molnár.

When asked what consequences the Ukrainian language law might have for him, the teacher replied that he might have to teach his students in Ukrainian starting next year. He said that

the appointment of a new principal could be part of the “Ukrainization” of the Hungarian school.

The Venice Commission, a panel of constitutional law experts, took a position on Ukraine’s minority law over the summer. It believes that the law is not in line with Ukraine’s international obligations and European standards for the protection of minorities.

The Ukrainian parliament had previously passed a bill that postpones the switch of teaching in the languages of EU countries to Ukrainian until September 1, 2024. Foreign and Trade Minister Péter Szijjártó had earlier expressed his concern about the education bill. According to him, if the new law comes into force, minority schools in Ukraine will practically disappear, which is unacceptable.

Via Ungarn Heute. Featured image: Facebook/Kántor Attila